Brazil Yanking Dead Fish out of Rio's 2016 Olympic Rowing Venue

Brazilian authorities are cleaning up like crazy at the moment, because they've got quite a few guests coming to visit in 2016. Pre-Olympic clean up job #1 is underway, and involves pulling masses of rotting fish out of the water at the rowing venue.

The spot around Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is said to be so polluted that the lack of oxygen in the water is causing the fish to just give up and die. Then, through no fault of the fish themselves, they begin to rot. Local residents and rowers have been complaining of the smell, with rowing coaches saying they're experiencing headaches and nausea thanks to the stink of dead meat.

Rio's environment secretary says the dead fish were caused by a "sudden change in water temperature," although oceanographers claim the mass fish death event is more likely to have been triggered by an explosion in algae blooms caused by nutrients and human waste in the water.

Rather worryingly for those who will be ploughing through the waters at the Olympics next year as a clearly emotional Steve Redgrave cheers from the bank, Rio's governor says there's "not going to be time" to complete the cleanup of all the waterways set to be used for events. [BBC]